


Fresh Air

by Iced_Tea_Possibly



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Gen, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, I love hugs tbh, Implied Crush, Light Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, No use of y/n, gender neutral reader, it's all very tame i promise, just some cute vibes, my first fic!, only a lil bit, pls go easy on me pls and thank u
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:07:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28028268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iced_Tea_Possibly/pseuds/Iced_Tea_Possibly
Summary: You're aboard the TARDIS and find yourself unable to sleep one night, so you decide to get some fresh air and ponder your thoughts. However, you quickly realise that you're not the only one still awake.
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor/Reader, Thirteenth Doctor/You
Kudos: 37





	Fresh Air

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> This is my very first fic - and therefore, also my first time posting to AO3. If you're here... hey! Thank you for checking out my work. I really appreciate ya. :)
> 
> I've been very fond of the Thirteenth Doctor ever since she was announced, and often catch myself wondering what it'd be like to travel with her... which is precisely what inspired this. No plot here, folks - just ponderings and feelings.
> 
> Hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading!

I sat upright on my bed, closing my book and rubbing my eyes. They had started to sting from the many hours of reading, and I slowly removed my glasses from my face, blinked a few times to readjust my vision and glanced around the room.

I briefly reopened my book to check the page count to discover that I was over halfway through - in one sitting! It certainly didn't feel like it. Sometimes I'd get lost in these fictional universes and time just seemed to disappear. Well, that might not be the only reason. Travelling with the Doctor definitely brings a shock to your body clock. One minute you're in your hometown with your friends, the next you're thousands of years in the future standing on an alien planet.

Other times, you're centuries in the past watching history unfold right in front of you. It's something I could never quite get used to, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Time was very confusing, even more so aboard the TARDIS. However, I could tell it was late on this particular evening. The corridors were quiet, and I'd presumed everyone else had gone to sleep. It was just me and my book for the past few hours - now, just me and my thoughts. Yikes.

I sighed and shifted my legs over the edge of my bed, placing the book on my bedside table. How long had I been reading? I had no idea, but I knew that I needed to stretch my legs. I put on my slippers and threw my fluffy oversized robe around my shoulders, and I stood up to have a stretch.

I took a deep breath and looked around. My room was a comforting space. It was dimly lit, with just enough soft orange light to suffice for my late-night reading sessions. The walls had hexagonal-shaped panels on it, making the whole space feel like some sort of cosy beehive. I had my own bed with comfortable sheets and a homemade quilt, and a wardrobe where I kept my clothes. You never know where you'll end up when you're travelling with the Doctor, so I had everything from chunky winter coats to summer outfits and everything in between.

I also had a journal on my bedside table filled with writings, rough sketches and photographs of our adventures. I loved coming back to my room at the end of the day, sitting down and writing it all down. My days were almost always busy, and from the moment I opened my eyes every morning, I never quite knew what the day would bring. but I always made time to document it all. I never wanted to forget any of it.

Sometimes I had to pinch myself and make sure I wasn't dreaming; if I was, I was yet to wake up from it, that was for sure.

Realising I wasn't really that tired, I glanced over at the door. _A little walk can't hurt,_ I thought to myself. _Just a little stroll, then I'll go to sleep._

I opened the door and stepped poked my head out, taking a quick peek down the corridor in both directions to make sure the coast was clear. The TARDIS was infinitely big; or at least, that's what the Doctor said. Sometimes I just couldn't figure out whether she was joking or not.

Judging by the near-complete silence apart from the TARDIS' constant humming, I figured I was the only one left awake. I turned left and walked softly down the corridor, making my way to the main control room for a stroll. I wasn't sure what I'd do there; but I didn't want to venture down any unfamiliar corridors in case I'd get lost.

The others had their own rooms in the TARDIS too that they had also decorated and made their own. I figured the Doctor did as well; although I never actually saw her sleep, or even yawn for that matter. Sometimes, I wasn't sure if she slept at all. She was a mysterious woman from the beginning, and you could tell she had many secrets hiding behind those kind eyes and that contagious smile. There were many things I just couldn't seem to wrap my head around, but she was usually not one for talking about herself. However, she took us on amazing adventures and offered me a completely new perspective on the universe, and knew I'd trust her with my life if it came to that.

My life before all this was nothing awfully interesting. Work, study, sleep. In my free time, I'd catch up with friends, read or watch TV. Just painfully ordinary human stuff.

I was doing my best, and that's all that mattered to me. However, nothing could've prepared me for that wonderful fateful day when I first met the mysterious blonde-haired woman in the long lilac-grey coat. _Nothing._

I was so zoned out that I almost didn't realise I'd arrived in the control room. It was dark, but I could make out the outline of the room, so I recognised where I was. The TARDIS must've known that I had entered, because the room lit up as soon as I stepped inside. The soft light shining from the crystals and the console washed over me and immediately gave me a warm, safe feeling.

"Hello," I said softly, stepping forward. I felt a little bit silly, as if I were talking to the air; but I knew the TARDIS was much more than just a machine. She must have been listening, because more lights along the floor lit up to help me find my way.

"Thank you," I said softly, not expecting a response. "I can't sleep. I don't know what I'm doing here, really."

I'd been comfortably wrapped up in my cocoon of blankets for several hours, or at least, that's what it had felt like. I glanced over at the TARDIS doors and had a thought. The big crystal in the centre of the console was still, indicating that we were not in motion. I didn't think we were anywhere in particular. Plus, the Doctor would never park anywhere unsafe if we were settling down for the evening. Thus, I figured it was safe to get a few breaths of fresh air before returning to bed. Maybe that's just what my brain needed to get into the sleepy zone.

I walked over to the doors and placed my hand on one of the doorknobs. I hesitated for a second. It felt a little bit wrong doing this on my own, but I knew the TARDIS would protect me, so I proceeded nonetheless.

I took a deep breath in, paused, then exhaled as I swung the door open.

Space.

We were floating in an endless sea of stars. We would've been very deep in space, because there were no planets, satellites or other space ships to be seen.

I could see a few asteroids floating around, but that was about it - besides the millions of stars, of course.

It's a sight that was just as breathtaking every time. It was so different from being down on earth and looking up at the night sky - and infinitely better. I felt a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. The view was absolutely extraordinary, and it's not something that would ever get boring to me. _I hope this never ends,_ I thought to myself. _I could never go back to life on earth. Not after this._

I slumped down to the floor, sitting cross-legged in front of the open door. I stared out into the vast unknown, mesmerised by it all. It was still completely silent apart from the soft hum of the TARDIS, which I always found oddly comforting.

I initially thought we were parked on a faraway planet somewhere, so I guess my idea of getting fresh air had gone down the drain. There was no air at all besides the oxygen bubble around the TARDIS, but I certainly wasn't upset by my surroundings. I sat there for a while taking in the view. I had absolutely no idea where - or when - we were, but I knew it was a very far way from home. My home.

I sighed at the realisation. It was both freeing and terrifying to be so far away from it all. I thought of my friends and family and where they'd be now, what they'd be doing and if they were thinking of me too. I told them I'd gone travelling, but I didn't really tell them where. If only they knew.

"Thought I could feel a draught in here," I heard a voice say from behind.

I just about jumped out of my skin at the sudden sound. I wasn't expecting the silence to be broken so abruptly. I turned my head to see the Doctor leaning against the console, looking at me, hands on her hips.

"Oh... y..yes," I stuttered. "Sorry. Couldn't sleep, thought I'd come out here, I wasn't sure if..."

"That's alright," she said, her arms dropping by her side and a reassuring smile appearing on her face. "We've all been there. Sometimes a bit of fresh air is all you need."

She was only kidding, of course. We were floating through deep space and there was no draught, or air for that matter. She was only trying to give me a fright, and it certainly worked.

She walked over to where I was sitting, and slowly opened the other door with a creak.

"Mind if I join you?" She asked, looking down at me.

"Not at all," I said, shifting around, my back leaning against the open TARDIS door so that I was positioned sideways in the doorway. She sat down across from me, leaning her back against the other door and looking out into the cosmos. We were silent for a moment, enjoying our peaceful surroundings.

"The TARDIS doors are creaky," I pointed out, breaking the silence. "Maybe they need some oil."

"I show you all of time and space and you complain about creaky doors?" She scoffed, rolling her eyes, but I could see a smile tugging at the edge of her mouth.

"Oh, that's not what I meant," I said defensively. "I just thought maybe it was worth mentioning, or..."

"I'm too busy to worry about things like creaky doors. Or sleep," she interjected.

I nodded. Couldn't argue with that. The Doctor usually wasn't one to explain her ways of life, and that's something I came to accept. We were both quiet for a little bit as we basked in the silence comfortably and enjoyed the company of the stars.

"What's on your mind?" She asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, although I knew exactly what she meant.

"You're thinking about something. I can see it in your eyes," she explained. "Your thoughts are very far away from here. It's very late. You came here to clear your head, didn't you?"

I looked up, meeting her soft gaze. There was something so magical about her. She looked young, yet her eyes carried so many years of wisdom. From the moment I met her, I knew I could trust her - I just _knew._

"I'm just thinking about life, I suppose," I muttered, looking back at the stars, not sure how to go about this conversation. "It's a bit surreal, sitting here. But it's very beautiful."

"It's a normal reaction to have," she assured. "It's not every day you get to float around in space. Well, not for most humans, anyway."

I smiled.

"But that's not why you came here," she continued. "Everyone else is asleep. Something on your mind?"

I sighed and diverted my gaze, looking down and fidgeting with a loose thread on my robe.

"Maybe," I uttered. I inhaled as if I was going to say something, then paused. I looked back up to see the Doctor raising her eyebrows at me, as if she was patiently waiting for me to speak.

"Thank you for choosing me," I said softly, trying to hide my awkwardness. I usually wasn't one to discuss my feelings. I was more the bottle-it-up-until-you-can't-take-it-anymore type.

"What'dyou mean?" She asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"Thank you for choosing me," I repeated sheepishly, before looking up and meeting her eyes again. "To come with you. I haven't really mentioned it much, but I'm really thankful. I never thought I'd be doing anything like this. Everything was just so dull and boring before this."

"Oh, of course!" She said, perking up. "No one I'd rather travel with. The team wouldn't be complete without you."

I smiled at her attempt of reassuring me, then sighed. I couldn't shake my doubts quite that easily.

"It's just... I feel like I'm nobody special, you know?" I muttered awkwardly. "I don't have any massively ambitious goals. My life was pretty boring before all of this. You probably could've picked someone a bit more useful than me."

It was true. I never really thought I'd leave my mark on the world, and I didn't really mind. I just wanted a mediocre existence that wouldn't make me sad all the time, and even that was proving to be difficult at times. I had changed my career path multiple times and struggled to figure out what I wanted out of life. Normal human struggles, I suppose; but enough to make me feel a bit lost. I wasn't so sure what I was doing in life anymore. I was just doing my best, and figured that was alright.

Her smile faded and she looked at me silently, trying to find the right words.

"Of course you're special," she said in a more serious, yet still reassuring tone. "There's a reason earth is my favourite place to visit. I've met thousands of you humans. You're all very special in your own way. I've never met anyone who isn't."

I nodded. She was a bit socially awkward, but she tried.

"I think you guys are fascinating. Ordinary humans. I could never have a life like that!"

I had to restrain myself from rolling my eyes, but at the same time, I couldn't help but adore her strange fondness of the human race.

She clasped her hands together and looked at me. "I need you to understand that," she stated. "You'll never not be important. Everything will make sense again someday. Do whatever you need to do to gain some clarity - and we'll be here to help - but never doubt your worth."

I felt a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. I never really seeked reassurance when I was feeling this way; but it was nice to hear.

"Thank you, Doctor," I murmured. "I just feel very lucky to be here. I feel like I was in the right place in the right time when I ran into you, or none of this would have happened."

"Time is kinda my speciality," she said, smiling proudly.

I looked back out into the vast sea of stars, feeling content. I could feel my doubts slowly dissipating and my mind calming down.

"I don't understand how anyone could go back to living life normally after seeing what's out there," I mumbled. "It's just so fulfilling. I never thought I'd see the universe in such a beautiful light again. I truly can't imagine my life any other way."

She put her hands on her knees and stood up. "You don't need to," she assured me, sticking her hand out to help me up. "I'd never leave you behind. Promise."

I took her hand and she swiftly pulled me upright, causing me to stumble a little.

Using her free hand, she grabbed my upper arm to stabilise me, making sure I didn't topple over. Falling out of the TARDIS was not something I wanted to add to my list of "adventures".

I looked up and our eyes met again. Those soft, hazel eyes never failed to make me feel safe. I knew in that moment that I was exactly where I needed to be, and that I didn't need to worry. I was _home._

"It's pretty late," she noted, loosening her grip on my arm and brushing off her pants. "You should try and get some rest. Got something exciting planned for tomorrow."

I put my hands in my robe's fluffy pockets and straightened up my posture. "You're probably right," I agreed, giving her a warm smile. "Thanks for joining me, Doctor. I think that's just what I needed."

"Anytime," she said, returning the smile. "I'm always up for a chat. Next time give me some notice and I'll make sure to have tea ready and biscuits for both of us."

"Will do."

Before I turned around to walk back, she suddenly opened her arms and pulled me into a tight embrace. I certainly wasn't expecting it.

I returned the embrace, slowly wrapping my arms around her and resting my chin on her shoulder. She was warm, comforting. I could feel my cheeks flushing bright red. I was so glad she couldn't see my face.

"Don't doubt yourself," she said firmly but calmly, her voice right next to my ear. "Not ever. That's not what life is for. You're capable of so much more than that."

I nodded against her shoulder. Her embrace was so comforting, and her coat smelled like lavender and vanilla; which somehow matched her peculiar personality perfectly. I could feel her two heartbeats softly beating against my chest. I'd be lying if I said it didn't give me a fluttery feeling in my stomach - and I felt that those feelings were best left unexplored. 

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, relishing in the moment. She'd never done this before, and I wasn't sure when it'd happen again, so I basked in the moment while it was happening. Who knew a hug could be so comforting on such a deep level?

"Thank you, Doctor," I said again. "Really. Thank you."

She pulled back, hands on my shoulders, giving me the most genuine, warm smile. _Ah, that smile._ It could light up the whole room, no matter how dark it was.

I smiled back, hoping my cheeks weren't as red as they were a moment ago.

"You are so very welcome. Now, go get some rest," she ordered, dropping her arms from my shoulders and turning around to close the TARDIS doors behind us.

"I think that's a great idea," I replied, yawning. My eyes definitely started to feel a bit droopy, and I turned to head back to my room.

My comfy bed was calling my name. Before exiting the control room, I took one last look over my shoulder to see the Doctor closing the doors with a creak. A feeling of contentment washed over me. I'd made the right decision tonight coming out here.

Sometimes, a bit of fresh air is all you need.


End file.
